Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Catherine Filloux's Kidnap Road opens this week at The First Floor Theatre at La MaMa. Director Elena Araoz answered our 6 Questions about the show, Ingrid Betancourt and working at La MaMa. Don't miss Kidnap Road at La MaMa through May 14th, 2017.

1.
How did you come to direct Kidnap Road?

I
have long admired Catherine Filloux as both a person and a playwright, so I
jumped at the chance to work with her when she reached out. I also have a
personal investment in stories about the Andes and the Amazon – as well as in
stories about fiery female leaders.

2.
Did you do research on Ingrid Betancourt for this project?

While
preparing for this project, I devoured as many interviews with Ms. Betancourt
as I could find. I was particularly interested in discerning who she was
before her capture, and who she seemed to become afterwards. She is a
fascinating woman, and her life is full of many startling events that
extend far beyond her 6-year imprisonment by the FARC. It is amazing
that one person's life can be so full. The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt, a documentary by Victoria Bruce and Karin Hayes, provided
a particularly helpful window into Ms. Betancourt’s relationship with
her family and her home country. Their footage seems to capture both her
courage and her fears. I am also
fascinated by the continued sharp polarization of Colombians’ opinions about
Ms. Betancourt, and the conspiracy theories that still swirl around her.

Current
events in Colombia and in the U.S. have also inadvertently provided a wealth of research
for this play. The peace efforts still in process in Colombia after
five decades of conflict and violence show how massive a task Ms.
Betacourt was trying to achieve. In the meantime, the recent American
presidential election has starkly illustrated the double standards
and animosity that female leaders often contend with. Why are male
leaders – especially those who incite aggression and antagonize
opponents – so often viewed with excitement, awe, or romantic ideas of a
revolutionary spirit? Why are female leaders, even those who do the same
work in the same way, so often portrayed as reaching beyond their post? How
many men in one woman’s life can tell her how to behave?

3.
In what way(s) do you think audiences in NYC can relate to this story?

NYC
is full of people coming from somewhere else with big dreams of doing something
remarkable. Dreams of being leaders and being loved; of making their mark
and making a difference. In the Ingrid Betancourt of Kidnap Road – who
may be quite distinct from the real life person – New Yorkers see a woman on a
mission. But we also see a woman who is
not devoid of ego or ambition – and for all of us trying to carve out a place
for ourselves in NYC, it is not difficult to relate to that drive that
keeps us going in a city that can be so arduous to live in.

Ms.
Betancourt was fighting what seemed to be an impossible fight. She was
envisioning an impossible future. I think many New Yorkers today are
wondering how to do the same thing – how to change a national mood and a
political system with which many of us are deeply unhappy. How much can
an individual accomplish? How much ego or self-assurance does it take to
stay in the fight?

4.
What was the last good book you read?

I’ve
had the great pleasure to read two great books back-to-back: Kia Corthron's
novel The
Castle Cross The Magnet Carter,and Kara Lee Corthron's
young adult novel The Truth of Right Now.
By chance, these two remarkable sisters have published their debut novels
within a year of each other. Separately and together, these two
books have made me more acutely question the atrocious history and
the embarrassing present state of racial divide in this country.

5.
Who inspires you?

There
are a number of artists who inspire me to work harder and smarter. But
lately, I have been especially reminded of my greatest directing mentor, Sir
Jonathan Miller, and his conviction that in order to put real life onstage you
need to be living a real life. I am currently trying to invest not only
in the make-believe of theatre but in my family, my community, the people
around me, and the planet we all share – in living a fully engaged life. I
truly believe that if I can observe the daily minutia of the changing citizenry
and popular opinion in this country, then I can make more honest art.

I
am inspired by my father for making it in this country as an immigrant, by
my mother (who I swear is the hardest working woman on the planet), and by my
husband, whose artistry continues to surprise me.

And
I am inspired by the women all around the country who are standing up and
running for office. Women have been
ignited into action, and that gives me hope that change is coming.

6.
What does working at La MaMa mean to you?

I
have always been impressed by the long lineage of amazing artists whose
work has been developed and supported by LaMama. I am honored to be
showing work in the same building that has housed so many luminaries of
experimental theatre. LaMama is a place for risk takers, for those
exploring form and content and politics in strange, invigorating ways. This
is the kind of art I most admire, and it has been a true joy to work and
collaborate here.

Friday, April 21, 2017

There
will be a series of conversations after select shows, surrounding themes in KidnapRoad. The play runs approximately 70 minutes with no intermission, and
these happen directly afterwards, lasting no more than a half hour including
the Q & A.

Saturday,
April 29, 2017 7:30pm Performance

In
conversation with Patricia Davis
about the book she co-authored with Dianna Ortiz, “The Blindfold’s Eyes”
regarding the abduction of Sister Dianna Ortiz in Guatemala.

Patricia Davis was a 2015-2016 fellow in Arena
Stage’s Playwrights’ Arena. Her most recent play, Digna, is based on the life of Mexican human rights activist Digna
Ochoa. Davis is the former director of
the Guatemala Human Rights Commission.

Monica Trausch is a Brooklyn-based writer
originally from Los Angeles. Her play
“The ABCs” will premiere at The Complex Theater in Hollywood this summer.

Martha Wade Steketee works with playwrights, reviews
scripts, and serves on boards including American Theatre Critics Association
and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.

Thursday,
May 4, 2017 7:30pm Performance

Order
and Disorder in Latin America: a conversation withAlexander
Santiago-Jirau.

Alexander
Santiago-Jirau is
Director of Education at New York Theatre (NYTW). A Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) practitioner
who studied and worked with Augusto Boal, Alex has facilitated numerous
workshops throughout his career. He is
on the faculty for the Program in Educational Theatre at NYU’s Steinhardt
School.

Sunday,
May 7, 2017 2pm Performance

Artists
of Kidnap
Roadin conversation with Caridad Svich.

Caridad Svich received 2012 OBIE for Lifetime
Achievement, and the 2011 American Theatre Critics Association Primus Prize.
Her plays, in English and Spanish, have been seen across the US and
abroad. As a translator she is best know for her translations of Federico Garcia
Lorca's plays.

Friday,
May 12, 2017 7:30pm Performance

Jeanine Tesori in conversation with Kidnap
Road’s artistic team.

Jeanine
Tesori is an American composer and musical arranger. She is the
most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five
Broadway musicals and five Tony Award nominations.

Saturday,
May 13, 2017 7:30pm Performance

In
conversation with Shilpa Darivemula and Rohini Bhatia the medical students
who created The Aseemkala Initiative: The use of dance to
tell stories of illness and healing is ancient and powerful. We aim to preserve
diversity and promote authentic engagement among indigenous communities through
the shared experience of sickness and healing.

Sunday,
May 14, 2017 2pm Performance

In
conversation with Toni Shapiro-Phim
and Amy Lee Sanford about artistic
explorations of the legacies of violence and displacement, especially in
Cambodia.

Toni Shapiro-Phim’s research and writing examines
the relationship of the arts to violence, migration, conflict resolution and
gender concerns. PhD in anthropology from Cornell, focusing on dance and war in
Cambodia. Director of Programs at the Philadelphia Folklore Project.

Amy Lee Sanford, born in Cambodia and raised in
the United States, is a performance and installation artist.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

In the 1950s world of Grand Rounds, a 10-year-old inspired by the adventures of Cherry Ames, nurse and amateur sleuth, turns her perceptive gaze on the rituals of family life. What goes on behind closed doors and on the radio is fodder for her scientific reckonings. Director/Choreographer Tamar Rogoff invites audiences to sit bedsides to share the intimacy that propels her protagonist on a rescue mission of her own.

The action takes place in and around six beds, in open spaces, on a hospital floor, in a graveyard, and in the imagination of this curious child. With an ensemble of differently-abled performers, Rogoff charts a journey through life’s passages, widening our circle of connection and understanding.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Kimber Riddle is featured in the new play, Kidnap Road, by Catherine Filloux. Kimber took time out from rehearsals to answer our 6 Questions. Kidnap Road plays La MaMa's First Floor Theatre from April 27 - May 14, 2017.1. Who do you play in Kidnap Road?I play the Woman (Ingrid Betancourt)2. Did you do any research on the Ingrid Betancourt kidnapping or other research for this production?Yes I did quite a bit of research on the kidnapping and the captivity as well as what happened before the kidnapping and after the rescue.3. What is the most challenging part of this play?The most challenging part of this play for me is preparing for this journey. Putting it together and organizing it in my head.4. Who inspires you?Ingrid inspires me. Even though she is a controversial figure that causes opinions and feelings to bubble, I find her very inspiring in preparation to play her. For all that she survived she is still going strong and working to be a better human.5. What is the most challenging part of this play?This is a dream role. Any female role that is complicated that inspires the challenge to do my best work.6. What does working at La MaMa mean to you?This will be my second time working at La Mama. It's exciting. Hopefully there will be a third time....

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Actor Marco Antonio Rodriguez took time out from rehearsals of Catherine Filloux's Kidnap Roadto answer our 6 Questions. Kidnap Road plays La MaMa's First Floor Theatre from April 27 - May 14, 2017.1. Who do you play in Kidnap Road? MAN (various roles)2. Did you do any research on the Ingrid Betancourt kidnapping or other research for this production? Absolutely. I did not know Ingrid's story before this production. I have read the book she wrote (Even Silence Has An End) watched several of her interviews and also watched a documentary on her bid for the presidency of Colombia. The kidnapping was horrible yet I was truly floored and fascinated by what happens to her after she is rescued. The country turns on her and many are divided in her opinions of her. This could easily be a two part play!3. What is the most challenging part of this play? I play multiple characters. There are sections in the play where I go from one character to the next instantly... we're talking ruthless military man to young, caring lover.... in a split second! There is no time to think. No time to "transform" or "shift" into the next character. What director Elena Araoz keeps reminding me of is to immediately focus on the core, immediate need of what that character wants in that moment. This helps me step in, physically and emotionally, into the world... the TRUTH of the characters. It's actually quite beautiful not to have any time to get into your head. You do the work then just let instinct kick in. All you have is the truth of the moment. 4. Who inspires you? I'm also a writer so I am truly inspired by human behavior, animal behavior and nature. I can literally sit in a park for hours and just observe: People, animals, trees... Whenever I go to gatherings my favorite thing to do is sit in a corner and just observe. Taking a walk or hike also does wonders for my creativity. Also, seeing lots of different kinds of theater in different languages! One of my favorite things to do when I travel is going to the theater. 5. What is your “dream roll”? I've been blessed and lucky to have played many of them. "Orlando" in The Conduct Of Life, "Oberon" in Midsummer Night's Dream"... Many of the roles I was lucky enough to do in new plays (whether readings or full productions) also turned out to be dream roles. "Nino" in Barceló On The Rocks, "Paco Escribano" in The Fall Of Rafael Trujillo... I would truly love to play Lady Macbeth some day. I connect with her need at a visceral level. 6. What does working at La MaMa mean to you?I grew up going to see shows at La Mama. It is where my love for experimental theater was born. For me, it is a coming home of sorts. The word "experimental" is interesting. The word is defined as untested ideas or techniques that have not yet been established or finalized. A work of art or an artistic technique involving a radically new and innovative style. Yet every time I've seen anything on a La Mama stage I've been far more captivated by the human truths and questions that force truth (from a different angle but truths nonetheless) rather than the experimental qualities of it.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Lizzie Olesker spoke with Paul Zimet and Ellen Maddow about Talking Band's newest work, THE ROOM SINGS, now playing at The Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa through April 16, 2017.

"In The Room Sings there’s a sense of a landscape that goes on and on, whether people are there or not, and the seasons go on, too. I’ve always been struck with a sense that the natural elements, the animals—the deer, the beavers, and the bears—are going on as they always have. There’s this other time that sort of goes on without you."